[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 10471]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      JUNETEENTH 149TH ANNIVERSARY

  Mr. REID. Madam President, today we celebrate Juneteenth. For those 
who aren't familiar with this holiday, today marks the 149th 
anniversary of the emancipation of the slaves in Galveston, TX. Two-
and-a-half years after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation 
took effect and 2 months after General Lee's surrender at Appomattox, 
the slaves of Galveston were still being treated as they were years 
before. Union GEN Gordon Granger and his troops arrived in Galveston 
with one thing in mind, to right this wrong. General Granger addressed 
the entire city, declaring all slaves in Texas to be free, and granting 
them ``an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of 
property.''
  Upon receiving the news, the newly freed slaves could not contain 
their joy. They were crying, they were hugging, they were celebrating, 
because they were previously confined to shackles. They were slaves in 
the true sense of the word.
  So today, 149 years later, we once again celebrate the occasion of 
the emancipation so long overdue. Juneteenth is a reminder of promises 
kept.
  Although it may be late in coming, it is the duty of a responsible 
government to honor its word and never forget any of its citizens. 
There are millions of Americans who need help today, right now. They 
are escaping the bonds of hunger, unemployment, and inequality. So may 
we here in the Senate come to their rescue, just as General Granger did 
for the slaves of Galveston those many years ago.
  Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, I wish to commend the Senate for 
unanimously passing S. Res. 474 last week. I am a proud co-sponsor of 
the resolution authored by Senator Levin, which designates today as 
Juneteenth Independence Day for 2014. The resolution includes specific 
recognition of Frederick Douglass who was born in the State of Maryland 
in 1818, escaped from slavery and became a leading writer, orator, 
publisher, and one of the United States' most influential advocates for 
abolitionism and the equality of all people.
  On this 149th anniversary of Juneteenth, America celebrates the end 
of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth--or June 19--is the day in 
1865 when MG Gordon Granger and Union soldiers enforced `General Order 
No. 3', finally freeing the remaining slaves in the United States.
  Thanks to the hard work of Americans committed to living up to our 
highest ideals, we have come a long way since that first Juneteenth. 
This is a time for joy but also reflection for African Americans. We 
should use our collective history, and days like Juneteenth, to grow, 
learn and become more connected to one another. We owe it to those who 
endured the brutal institution of slavery and to those who dedicated 
their lives to ending such an injustice.
  Today, our children study Marylanders like Harriet Tubman and 
Frederick Douglass, both former slaves who helped deliver freedom to 
millions. As we observe Juneteenth in Maryland and across the country, 
we also reflect on the reality that human bondage has not been 
abolished worldwide. The continued existence of slavery anywhere is an 
affront to the progress made since that first Juneteenth and a cause 
for action.

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